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Jehovah's Witnesses Symbols

Jehovah's Witnesses Symbols

Rejection of the Cross

Although Jehovah's Witnesses identify themselves as Christians, they reject the symbol most commonly associated with Christianity - the cross. Crosses are not displayed in the interior or exterior of Kingdom Halls and Jehovah's Witnesses do not wear cross necklaces or print crosses on their Bibles. (See Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs)

Jehovah's Witnesses reject the cross symbol because they regard it as a pre-Christian pagan fertility symbol. They also deny that Jesus actually died on a cross. Instead, the New World Translation says he suffered and died on an upright "torture stake." (See more about the New World Translation)

The Watchtower website teaches:

Jesus did not die on a cross. He died on a pole, or a stake. The Greek word translated "cross" in many Bibles meant just one piece of timber. The symbol of the cross comes from ancient false religions. The cross was not used or worshiped by the early Christians. Therefore, do you think it would be right to use a cross in worship? (Deuteronomy 7:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14) {1}

Thus, Acts 2:23 in conventional English translations says, "... by nailing him to the cross," but the New World Translation reads, "... fastened to a stake." Similarly, Mark 8:34 in the New International Version says, "If anyone would come after me, he must ... take up his cross and follow me." The New World Translation has, "... pick up his torture stake and follow me continually." (Comparison chart: Jehovah's Witnesseses and Christianity)

The Watchtower

The one symbol that is used to represent the Jehovah's Witnesses is the watchtower. It can be seen on the outside of some Kingdom Halls, inscribed on some publications, and at the top of the Watchtower website.

The idea of the watchtower has been associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses since almost the very beginning, when Charles Taze Russell called the new society "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society." The Society does not emphasize the meaning of the watchtower, but it is clearly an appropriate symbol for a group watching for the signs of the end.

Kingdom Hall

The Kingdom Hall is the gathering place of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is not called a "church." At the Kingdom Hall, members participate in things like BIble studies and corporate services. Kingdom Halls often look the same inside and outside, although can be uniqueness depending on the geographical location. Many Kingdom Halls don't have windows due to high costs of replacing them when they are vandalized.